Mariposa Grove

Located inside Yosemite National Park in California, Mariposa Grove is an isolated group of Giant Sequoias or Sierra Redwoods discovered by Galen Clark and Milton Mann in 1857. Giant Sequoias are large redwood trees that are found in isolated groups on the western slopes of the central and southern Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. Three such groups are located inside the park, of which the Mariposa Grove is the largest one and is situated in Mariposa County.

Mariposa Grove consists of more than 500 towering redwood trees that are 2000 years old, rising up to heights of around 300 feet (90 m) and with diameters of more than 40 feet (12 m). The most remarkable of these is the Grizzly Giant, believed to be the oldest tree inside the park, with an estimated age of more than 2000 years. This Giant Redwood stands 209 feet (64 m) tall with a diameter of 29 feet (9 m). The basal circumference of the tree is around 100 ft (30 m).

Wawona Tree was another remarkable giant located in this grove, that fell to the ground in 1969. This tree consisted of a large tunnel cut at its base through which horse-drawn carriages and automobiles used to drive through. Some other important Giant Redwoods located inside the Mariposa Grove include The Fallen Monarch, The California Tunnel Tree, The Faithful Couple, The Clothespin Tree, The Columbia Tree, The Galen Clark Tree and The Telescope Tree. Another interesting location is The Bachelor and the Three Graces, which is a group of four trees where three of them are growing together and the fourth tree is located at a distance.

Shuttle buses and open-air trams are available inside to go around the Mariposa Grove. One more interesting place to visit in the Mariposa Grove is the Mariposa Grove Museum, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.